Organize the Home screen on your Galaxy phone or tablet

Everyone loves a comfortable and clean home, and that applies to our digital spaces, too. With the use of widgets, folders, and additional Home screens, Samsung Galaxy phones and tablets let you customize, style, and organize to keep them as tidy as your house without all the work!
Hand holding a Galaxy phone displaying its Home screen, with a focus on the customization options such as 'Wallpaper and style', 'Themes', and 'Widgets'
Hand holding a Galaxy phone displaying its Home screen, with a focus on the customization options such as 'Wallpaper and style', 'Themes', and 'Widgets'

Organize the Home screen on your Galaxy phone or tablet

Note
Available screens and settings may vary by wireless service provider, software version, and device model.

Landscape Home screen

Note
This option may not be available on all devices.

By default, Galaxy devices are set to Auto rotate so the device will automatically adjust its display mode based on how you are holding it.

 

You can also lock the screen in Landscape mode, if needed. Just turn your device sideways and open the Quick settings panel by swiping down from the top of the screen using two fingers. Tap the Auto rotate icon; the device will now be locked in Landscape mode. To go back to Auto rotate, simply tap the Landscape icon in the Quick settings panel.

Close-up view of a Galaxy phone's quick settings panel highlighting the 'Auto rotate' feature within a circle, surrounded by other system settings like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth

Do you want your Home screen to rotate to Landscape too? To do this, navigate to Settings, tap Home screen, and then tap the switch next to Rotate to landscape mode.

Read less

Lock the Home screen layout

You can lock your Home screen to prevent its items from being removed or repositioned.

 

Touch and hold an empty spot on a Home screen, and then tap Settings. Tap the switch next to Lock Home screen layout to turn it on.

Galaxy phone screen displaying 'Home screen settings' with the option 'Lock Home screen layout' toggled on to prevent repositioning of icons

Read less

Manage Home screens

Multiple home screen options on a Galaxy phone 

When you open your device, you want to get right to the good stuff, and that starts with the Home screen. You can customize your Home screens any way you want. Add, remove, or change your main Home screen, so everything is just how you like.

  1. From any Home screen, touch and hold an empty space.
  2. The screen will enter Edit mode, displaying multiple screens. From here, use the following options to manage your screens:
  • Add a screen: Swipe left until you see an empty Home screen, and then tap Add (it looks like a plus sign).
  • Remove a screen: Swipe to a Home screen you want to remove, and then tap the Delete icon (it looks like a trash can) at the top.
  • Set a screen as the main Home screen: Swipe to the Home screen you want to make your main screen. Tap the Home icon (it looks like a house) at the top to make it your go-to screen. The bolded Home icon indicates which one is the main Home screen.
  • Change the order of screens: Touch and hold the screen you want to move, and then drag it to the desired position.
  • Turn Samsung Free or Google Discover on or off: If you'd like to enable or disable Samsung Free or Google Discover, swipe until you reach the Samsung Free and Google Discover screen. Tap the switch at the top to turn it on or off.
  • Edit the Home screen settings: Tap Settings at the bottom of the screen to be taken to even more options for the Home screen, such as adjusting the Home screen's layout.
Read less

Add apps to the Home screen

Get your Home screen in order with all your most-used apps lined up right where you want them. Swipe up or down to access the Apps screen.

 

There are multiple ways to add shortcuts to the Home screen:

  • Touch and hold the app until a menu displays, and then tap Add to Home.
    Messages app listing options with Add to Home highlighted on a Galaxy phone
  • Touch and hold the app until the Home screen is displayed, and then release the app in your desired location.
  • Touch and hold the app, drag it to the top or bottom of the screen, and then release the app in your desired location.
Read less

Create or delete folders

Your device comes with preloaded folders, like the Samsung folder, so all your related apps can be together in one place. You can also create and edit your own folders to help you organize your other apps.

  1. From the Home screen, touch and hold an app. You can also swipe up to access the Apps screen, and then choose an app.
  2. Drag the app on top of another app, and then release. The two apps will both be added to the same folder.
  3. Tap Folder name and enter an appropriate name for the folder. Tap Done on the keyboard.App folder with Folder name above it
  4. To select a color for the folder, tap the Palette icon (the circle) in the upper right-hand corner.
  5. You can add more apps to the folder by tapping Add (the plus sign) or by dragging other apps into the folder.
  6. To exit the folder, tap anywhere outside the folder.
  7. If the folder is on your Home screen, you can move it to a different spot. Touch and hold the folder, and drag it to your desired location.
  8. If your folder is on the Apps screen, you can also move it by touching and dragging it. Or, you can touch and hold the folder, and then tap Add to Home. A shortcut for the folder will appear on the Home screen and a copy of the folder will remain on the Apps screen.
  9. To delete a folder, touch and hold the desired folder, and then tap Delete folder. The folder will be removed and the apps will return to the Apps screen.
  10. If you have multiple copies of the same folder (for instance, one on the Home screen and one on the Apps screen), they will have to be deleted separately.
Read less

Replace apps in your favorite apps section

The bottom row on your Home screen is reserved for your favorite app shortcuts. You can remove these shortcuts and add new ones if you’d like to change up your Home screen. You can also find these shortcuts in the taskbar on your One UI5 and higher Z Fold phone.

  1. From a Home screen, touch and hold the app shortcut you’d like to remove or replace.
  2. Next, drag it to another part of the screen. Or, tap Remove to remove the shortcut from the Home screen. You’ll still be able to access the app from the Apps screen.
  3. To add a new favorite app shortcut, swipe up from the bottom of the screen to open the Apps screen. Touch and hold your desired app, and then drag it to an empty spot next to the rest of your favorites.
  4. You can add up to 5 apps to your favorites, but you can create folders in your favorites to add more.
Read less

Manage wallpapers and widgets

One of the best things about your Galaxy is the huge level of customization and functionality available right on the Home screen. Touch and hold a blank spot on the Home screen, and you'll be able to change the wallpaper, apply themes, and add widgets. You can customize your wallpaper to have your Galaxy device reflect your personality, or give it one all its own. Widgets can do almost anything, from controlling your Galaxy Buds to displaying the current weather.

Widgets icon highlighted on a Galaxy phone 

Note
If the Home screen layout is locked, you will not be able to move apps and widgets on the Home screen.
Read less
Was this content helpful?
We're here for you

Contact Samsung Support

Contact us online through chat and get support from an expert on your computer, mobile device or tablet. Support is also available on your mobile device through the Samsung Members App.
auto-contact_us-pc-2x auto-contact_us-pc-2x